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NO. 1141 -- WE CAN'T ASCRIBE OUR VALUES!

No. 1141

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WE CAN’T ASCRIBE OUR VALUES!

Several years ago, when I first began my daily radio program, I had a wonderful lady working for me by the name of Desmond Allen. This was back in the days when we produced the programs on cassette tape, and a part of Desmond’s duty was to mail the tapes to our stations and then check them back in when they were returned. One day she was a little distraught and said to me, “Some of our stations do not return our tapes, and I would never dream of not returning them.” Then she later told me what she had been doing. She said, “I have been ascribing my values to someone else.”

The bottom line here is that we can’t ascribe our values to another person if we want to maintain our sanity and have peace of mind. As I later thought about this exchange, I realized there is a valuable lesson to be learned here that may be of interest and value to some of my readers, and hopefully to you. While you probably already know the meaning of the word “Value,” for the benefit of those who may not, here is what the dictionary says about it. Value: “Something regarded as desirable, worthy, or right, as a belief, standard, or moral precept.” For me personally, I have Godly values, because the Word of God, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, is the foundation for my belief system.

But back to my earlier thought for a moment. This is certainly not to say the people who did not return our tapes are not good people or even that they are ungodly people. There may be countless other reasons why they did not return them, at least in a timely manner. For this example, however, it was no big deal because the cost of the tapes was so small that we could easily absorb it. There are times, however, when the cost is very large and it does make a difference. At this point it becomes very important to know with whom we are dealing.

It is in this context that there is a real lesson to be learned. When it comes to dealing with other people and their value system, if the stakes are high, we had better know with whom we are dealing and the basis for their belief system. This is the primary reason that companies hiring people to work for them have a job application each person fills out. Many also have a face-to-face interview before the deal is sealed and they are hired as an employee.

In all likelihood, this company or organization will also want the applicant to furnish some references they can check out. The higher the salary and responsibilities, the more through they will investigate not just this person’s values but their physical health as well. Needless to say, the person who wishes to climb the ladder of success must have a great resume that includes character values and morals that are consistent with the high standards and integrity of the employer.

At this point, for the sake of example, allow me to give you some character and moral values that would be a great asset for potential employees to have: honesty, truthfulness, personal responsibility, punctuality, good hygiene and grooming, ability to keep confidences, courteous and friendly, loyalty, understands the profit motive and how they can contribute to the success of the business or organization. The latter is for private business and also the mission of any other organization. The bottom line is that we can’t ascribe our values to others, but we can be responsible for our own.
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(Editor’s Note: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)